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Cellular trail cameras are an effective hunting tool and have become their own hobby. But their main downside is that they eat battery. You can install external batteries, but they are heavy and cumbersome. You can run a solar panel, but that doesn’t work under the forest canopy.
That’s why the new TactaCam Reveal 4.0 and Pro 4.0 trail cams feature a redesigned battery system that will make your cameras last longer without solar panels or external batteries. I’ve been testing the Tactacam Reveal Pro 4.0 for about a month. This is what I found out.
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- Warranty: 1 year from activation date
- Cellular Network: LTE
- Cellular Carriers: Major Cellular Networks
- Photo definition: 4K (UHD), 2.5K (WQHD)
- Flash Range: Low Brightness – 96′; No Shine – 80′
- Memory: 8GB internal storage with optional SD card slot
- Power: 12 AA batteries (not included); Optional external power source (5K and 10K external battery pack or solar panel – not included)
- External power: DC 12V-2A input
- Price: $160 (Pro 4.0) and $130 (4.0)
What’s new
Flexpack Power System
The new Flexpack batteries are the main reason to upgrade to 4.0. I have cameras in the field running AA batteries and new rechargeable lithium batteries that have instant transmission and no delay in photos. The battery life of those cameras has not decreased even once during a month of use. Based on past experience, I estimate that you can go an entire season with one battery pack without recharging. If you have already invested in TactaCam batteries, the new Flexpack 3.0 and above are different from the previous batteries, and are not cross-compatible. The new rechargeable batteries come in two sizes – one R5 ($60) and a R10 ($100).
better image
Tactacam says the new 4.0 has the company’s best image quality yet. If you’re a photo buff, you might be able to tell the difference between a 3.0 and 4.0 image, but to me, they both look good.
photo and video together
Reveal 4.0 can shoot photos and videos at the same time. I set my cameras to capture both photos and video and it’s a useful setting when you want to see what a deer does after the initial trigger.
Monitor and Control
The trail camera door is now located on the side of the camera instead of directly in front of it. This allows you to aim at the camera with the view finder without blocking the camera’s view.
Testing Tactacam Reveal Pro 4.0
I did my standard walk-through testing on the Pro 4.0. This test evaluates trigger speed, night performance, and detection range. The test involves walking from right to left and then left to right, day and night, at 10, 60 and 110 feet. Pro 4.0 fired with 100 percent reliability at 10 and 60 feet. It captured me as I entered the frame from both directions, day and night. It did not trigger at an altitude of 110 feet, day or night, which is not unusual. With the camera set to low glow, it gives off a nice, even IR flash that illuminates a wide area up to about 100 feet. What I appreciate most about it is that it doesn’t show details too close up and yet it has enough brightness to clearly see animals at a height of 60 feet. Like 3.0, you can adjust the setting from no glow to low glow right in the app.
I wanted to see how the TactaCam Reveal 4.0 performed when animals walked straight towards it and straight away from it. Starting at 110 feet, I walked straight toward the camera and it captured me at about 10 feet. Starting behind the camera I walked straight past him and at about 10 feet he captured me again.
Connecting the new camera is a simple and intuitive process that takes just a few minutes. You simply scan the QR code, name the camera and adjust the settings. You can take on-demand photos to confirm that the camera is working properly and you’re at the next location. If you haven’t used the Reveal app before, it’s one of the best on the market. Your cameras can be organized by location, you can share the feed with friends, you can adjust camera settings, and you can even pause your subscription right in the app.
I have some Pro 4.0’s on my deer lease in Virginia and I have access to several 4.0’s and Pro 4.0’s on a property in Illinois. They have been reliable and the batteries have not lost power even after a month in the field at the highest power-usage settings. The photo quality is excellent, which is what I’ve come to expect from a Tactacam.
These new cameras have live view functionality, which you can turn on from the app. Live view takes about 30 seconds to turn on, and it will also broadcast sound. You can record video or take photos during the live feed.
final thoughts
For me, the biggest reason to add some 4.0 to your fleet of trail cameras is the better battery life. We all have places that are hard to reach and we don’t want to disturb them until it’s time to hunt. Those slots are perfect for the 4.0 or Pro 4.0 with the R10 battery. If you have a location that’s easy to reach, but there’s a lot of activity, the R5 with 4.0 will save you having to replace the battery every month.
